Method of manipulating thread or the like



TIT-Ef July 15, 1941;

METHOD OF MANTPULATING THREAD OR THE LIKE y w. F. KNEBUsl-l Filed Jan.25,

Fili. 0

f 'E 25 `W TERFIKNEBUscl-l Patenied July 15, 1941 METHOD 0F MANIPULATINGTHREAD 0R THE LIKE Walter F. Knebusch, Rocky River, Ohio, assigner toIndustrial Rayon Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of DelawareApplication January 25, 1938, Serial No. 186,802

3 Claims. \(Cl. 18-54) This application, directed to a novel method ofmanipulating thread or the like, is a continuation in part of copendingapplication Serial No. 7113, filed Fabruary 18, 1935, for Method andapparatus for processing thread (Patent 2,225,- 641). In a preferredform, the invention relates to the transfer of threador the like fromone reel to another of a thread-processing machine embodying at leasttwo thread-advancing reels, the thread or the like being discharged fromthe rst reel, flung` from one reel to another by centrifugal force, andcaused to wind upon such second reel. By the present invention, many ifnot all of the difficulties experienced in attempting to transfer thethread or the like by manual methods are overcome.

While the invention is capable of use in connection with the manufactureof thread-'like articles generally, it may to advantage be employed inthe processing of artificial silk thread manufactured by one of the wellknown methods; e, g., the viscose, cuprammonium, nitrocellulose andcellulose acetate processes. For convenience, the invention isillustrated in the accompanying drawing as employed in the manufactureof multiple lament viscose artificial silk thread. In the drawing,Figure 1 represents more or less diagrammatically a side elevation of acontinuous processing machine; Figure 2, a corresponding front elevationpartly in section on line 2-2 of Figure 1; Figure 3, a more or lessdiagrammatic plan; Figure 4, a sectional elevation on line 4 4 of Figure2; Figure 5, an end elevation from the left in Figure 4; and Figure 6, afragmentary vsectional elevation on line 6-5 of Figure 4.

Machines of the kind capable of being employed. in the practice of thepresent invention can and do take various forms, but ordinarily includea plurality of like units each capable of producing a single multiplefilament Viscose artificial silk thread. Thus in the unit illustrated inFigure 1, the thread 1, having been formed by extrusion of viscoseintoca suitable spinning bath, isled to a series of reels 8, 9, I and IIshown disposed in descending arrangement vwith the driving and receivingend of each reel beneath the thread-discharging end of the precedingreel, but so arranged that the thread progresses in theA same directionalong al1 reels. This arrangement has the advantage of presenting theends of the reels to the operator, thus facilitating the manipulation,control and inspection of the thread.

Each reel may, if desired, be generally of the same form and operateinthe same` manner as the reel shown, describedY and claimed incopending application Serial No. 652,089, filed January 16, 1933, forWinding reel (Patent 2,210,- 914), to which reference may be'had for acomplete description of the principle of operation of the reel shown inFigure 3. The reels illustrated in the accompanying drawing have theimportant advantage of being of cantilever form in the sense that theyare supported and driven entirely from one end, the other end beingsubstantially unobstructed; further, by virtue of the arrangement shownand described, the supported end of each reel is in opposite relation tothe unsupported end of the preceding reel. The direction of travel ofthe thread is preferably toward the unsupported end of each reel.

The illustrated reel includes two members l2 andV I3, respectively, eachof which is rigid in the sense that all of its parts are xed andimmovable with respect to each other.

Member i2, which may be termed the concentric member, is disposedconcentrically of and rotates with drive shaft I4. It includes a bodyportion of generally cylindrical kform with its periphery slotted toform a series of alternating bars l5 and recesses I6, the body beingmounted upon a sleeve Il keyed to the shaft lll and held in placethereon by a cap screw I8 threaded into the shaft. The head of said capscrew passes through and clamps in place an imperforate disc I9, thebeveled periphery of which seats against and forms a sealed joint withthe correspondingly beveled end of the wall of the drum-like body ofmember I2. Thus the body of member I2 is in effect a hollow drum withits inner chamber entirely sealed, so that no treating liquid gainsaccess to the interior thereof.

The other member I3 of the reel may be called its eccentric member,because While it is generally of cylindrical form, it is mounted withits axis both offset slightly from and also inclined to the axis of theshaft vIll. The member I3, as shown, comprises -a head formed of innerand outer rings 20 and 2|, the former of which has peripheral slots toreceive bars 22. Rings 20 and 2l are respectively externally andinternally tapered,

being held together in their home position by screws 23 which serve toclamp the bars in place. The inner ring Z is attached to a sleeve 24journalled to rotate upon a supporting tubular mem` ber 25 whichsurrounds shaft I ll and is spaced therefrom,

The eccentric member I3 has-its axis slightlyv offset from and inclinedtothe axis of concentric reel member |2-. Supporting memberA 25 ispreferably of such nature that it will enable the degree of inclinationof eccentric member I3 to be adjusted from time to time. The advance ofthe thread is dependent upon the degree of inclination between membersI2 and I3, so that the greater the angle of inclination the wider thespacing between successive turns of thread. The offset and inclinedrelation of the reel members provides an advance of the threadlengthwise of the reel in a large number of closely spaced generallyhelical turns, as many, for example, as fifty to two hundred.

Each reel is provided with suitable means for supplying and removing thetreating liquid to the action of which the thread is to be subjectedwhile stored on the reel. The reagent is delivered to the reel by thedistributor 35, which may be of any suitable form such, for example, asthat shown in Patent No. 2,054,087. The spent processing medium iscollected in a drain trough 36 from which it flows by suitable conduitseither to the sewer, in the event that the liquor is wash water to bethrown away, or to a make-up reservoir and then to the proper pump forrecirculation, as when the processing medium is of a character makingitsre-use d-esirable.

The parts of the reel which come in contact with chemical reagents arepreferably made of such materials and in such manner as to be unaffectedby the processing media. In the reel shown, member I2 is composed ofhard rubber, Bakelite or similar material molded around or in suchmanner as to include the central metal bearing sleeve I '1. The parts ofmember I3 are all molded of similar material, the ring 20 being moldedaround or to include the central metal bearing sleeve 24. The disc I9,screws, nuts, bars and other parts of the reel are either made of orcoated with some similar material unaffected by processing media;however, they may, if desired, be shielded from the processing media byother suitable means, as will be understood.

The reels of the various units may be mounted in any convenient manner,being usually so disposed with respect to each other as to be capable ofdrive and control from the same source or sources of power. Thus inFigures 1 and 2 the drive shaft 2S is provided at intervals with spiralgears 2'I, each of which drives a spiral gear 28 on a short shaft 29connected by change speed gears 3U to a shaft 3I extending lengthwise ofthe machine and arranged to drive corresponding reels in differentunits. Each shaft 3| is provided with a spiral gear 32 driving a spiralgear 33 loosely rotatable on the reel shaft I4 and capable of beingoperatively connected to it by a clutch 34. Shaft I 4 is connected to,supports and drives the concentric member I2 of the reel which, in turn,drives the eccentric member I3 by bar-to-bar contact.

In thread-processing machines heretofore proposed employing a pluralityof thread-advancing reels, the operation of transferring the thread fromone reel to another has usually been performed manually. There are,however, in some circumstances disadvantages characterizing the handmethod of transferring the thread in such machines some of whichdisadvantages will be mentioned hereinafter. So serious are thesedisadvantages that to some extent, at least, the objections to manualmethods of transferring the thread have retarded the commercialutilization of thread-processing m a c hin e s employingthread-advancing reels.

Prominent among these diiiiculties are the considerably increased laborcost involved in handling the thread, the ineiiiciency of hand transfermethods, and the introduction of the human element. In addition, handmethods are sometimes dangerous for the operator; for example, it has inthe past been necessary for the operator to reach in between twoadjoining rotating reels, grasp the leading end of the thread, and Wrapone or more turns of the thread about the reel on which it is to beadvanced. Furthermore, if the operator experiences diiculty in graspingthe thread or if he overlooks a reel from which the thread is ready tobe transferred to the succeeding reel, the thread may override the endof the reel and jam the bearings at the end of the reel toward which thethread is advancing. Other diiiiculties also characterize the use ofhand transfer methods.

By contrast, the improved practice contemplated by the instant inventioneliminates these difficulties. Among other things, the invention takesadvantage of centrifugal force to fling the leading end of the threadfrom the reel over which it has advanced into contact with the reel onwhich it is to be caused to wind. To the successful practice of theinvention it is important that the diameter of the reel, its speed ofrotation, and any other variables known to be pertinent be so related asto develop the desired amount of centrifugal force. If the necessaryamount of centrifugal force is not developed under the circumstancesunder which the reel is operating, the self-transferring actioncontemplated by the present application will not ordinarily be obtained;instead, it will be necessary to assist the transfer of manual, fluid ormechanical means.

In the operation of a machine of the type `shown and described, thethread is advanced lengthwise along the surface of an upper reel untilthe leading portion of the thread leaves the unsupported end thereof.The unsupported end of the reel, which is substantially unobstructed byanything impeding the discharge of the thread, thus constitutes thethread-discharge zone of the reel. The leading portion of the treadtends to adhere to the reel, but on reaching the thread-discharge Zonethe extent of its contact with the reel is of course reduced, thusreducing or eliminating the adhesion of the thread to the reel.

If Athe leading portion of the thread is free, the thread dischargesfrom the reel in the form of a single turn followed in due course by theother turns as they successively reach the end of the reel; but if, asis occasionally the case, the leading portion of the thread is woundunder one or more succeeding turns, the Vthread discharges from the reelin the form of a bundle made up of a plurality of associated turns. Ineither case, however, the leading portion of the thread, the adhesion ofwhich to the reel has thus been reduced or eliminated, is flung from thereel by centrifugal force and, aided by the action of gravity, is causedto engage the next lower reel.

Whether the thread on being discharged from the upper reel comes at onceinto contact with the next lower reel at a point, immediately below thepoint of its discharge from the upper reel is not important; indeed, thethread may come into contact with the next lower reel at a point aconsiderable distance nearer the front of the machine than the point ofits discharge from the upper reel. In the case of any two reels disposedas described, the action isrsuchthat regardless of the point on thesucceeding reel at which the thread comes into contact therewith, thethread promptly travels back lengthwise of the reel until it can startto wind from the point on the lower reel defining the shortest distancebetween the two reels. Thereafter the reel winds the thread into theform of a travelling spiral of the desired number of generally helicalturns.

' In tests upon vertically stepped reels having diameters of 21/2 inchesand operating at 400 R. P. M. it has been found that sufficientcentrifugal force can be developed to effect satisfactory transfer ofthe thread. Thus 'moist untwisted thread can be led to the upper reelfrom any suitable source, advanced over its surface in the desirednumber of helical turns, and flung by centrifugal force from theunsupported end of the reel. The action of gravity causes the thread tocontact with the surface of the next succeeding reel, thereby completingthe transfer operation. Obviously, the diameter and angular speed of thereels may be varied provided these factors are so related as to preserveVthe centrifugal force at the Value necessary to fling the thread fromthe reel.

In the operation of a machine of the type shown in the drawing, thethread may be led to the first reel, as, for example, from thecoagulating bath, after which it will be caused by the action of theelements thereof to wind therearound in generally helical form. When itreaches the unsupported end of such reel, transfer takes place, afterwhich the thread advances along the second reel. In due course itreaches the unsupported end of such reel, discharged therefrom andcoming into lcontact with the third reel. This sequence of eventscontinues until the thread passes from the last reel of the series tocollecting means of some suitable form, such, for example, las aspinning pot, collecting spool or cap twister. In some circumstances,the thread may be caused to transfer itself from the last reel of theseries to the collecting means by an operation similar to that abovedescribed.

It is obvious that the apparatus and method hereinabove describedrepresent the preferred way of carrying out the invention. Variousmodifications within the scope of the appended claims will occur tothose skilled in the art and may be made without departing from thespirit of the invention. It is further evident that the invention may beemployed in connection with threadlike articles generally; e. g.,laments, threads, thread bundles, tapes, ribbons, etc., hereinafterreferred to as threadf It is intended that the patent shall cover, bysuitable expression in the appended claims, whatever features ofpatentable novelty reside in the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. The method of transferring wet thread from a preceding to asucceeding thread-advancing reel each of which continuously advances thethread lengthwise thereof in a plurality of generally helical turnscomprising advancing the leading portion of the thread along saidpreceding reel into the discharge zone thereof, meanwhile rotating saidreel at an angular speed, which, taking into account the diameter of thereel, is sufficient to fling the leading portion of the thread bycentrifugal force into Contact with said succeeding reel, whereby thethread is transferred between said reels.

2. The method of transferring wet thread from an upper to a lowerthread-advancing reel each of which continuously advances the threadlengthwise thereof in a plurality of generally helical turns comprisingadvancing the leading portion of the thread alo-ng said upper reel intothe discharge zone thereof, meanwhile rotating said upper reel at anangular speed which, taking into account the diameter of the reel, issufficient to fling the leading portion of the thread by centrifugalforce into contact with said lower reel, whereby the thread istransferred between said reels.

3. 'Ihe method of transferring wet thread from a preceding to asucceeding thread-advancing reelr each of which has one substantiallyunobstructed end toward which the thread is advanced in a plurality o-fgenerally helical turns comprising advancing the leading portion of thethread toward the unobstructed end of said preceding reel, meanwhilerotating said preceding reel at an angular speed which, taking intoalccount the diameter of the reel, is suicient to icause the leadingportion of theithread upon reaching the unsupported end of said reel tobe flung by centrifugal force into contact with the succeeding reel,whereby the thread is transferred between said reels.

WALTER F. KNEBUSCH.

